In a castle the servants ate well, none more so than the kitchen staff, this extract from 'The Early Life of Erasmus O'Rourke' takes you into early Irish life! More extracts can be read on Google Book Search
. The castle had been fed and was now resting and the festivities in the kitchen could now commence. The tables had not only been put up but were laden with a meal fit for the kitchen servants, who were never known to skimp when it came to eating.
By now the pages, grooms and most of the older retainers were milling around filling their mugs with ale. The chambermaids were behaving in a manner most unbecoming for young ladies, not that they were young ladies, but still propriety would have been expected this early in the proceedings, already they were loosening their bodices and being coltish. This thought Erasmus was not like the Christmases past. The cottage had always celebrated the occasion, but the diet by midwinter had already become meagre. His mother would make an effort and his father would drink the poteen he had made and become drunk. He realised that the latter part of his thoughts were not dissimilar to the scene in front of him, and he reflected that lining his stomach with milk had not been a bad idea.
‘These stools are for us.’ He felt Deidre’s hand on his arm as she pulled him and Paddy to one side where already some mugs of ale awaited them. Quickly the stools were filled and the trenchers were piled high with roast beef, pieces of wild geese, colcannon and black and white puddings chunked into mouth size pieces, assuming you had a wide mouth. Then as they were finishing their first mugs of ale Aingeal aided by the scullions carried the wassail bowl to the central table and removed the clothe covering it. Without the refinement of a jug to serve there was much jostling and elbow digging. Paddy quickly dipped their mugs into the liquid pushing the roasted apples that were bobbing on the surface to one side and filled the mugs to the brim.
‘There we go, a real good mix by the smell, all wine, and plenty of spices and sugar,’ said Paddy who was already sipping at his mug. ‘And there’s something else in there, has cook been adding a little poteen to give it a little extra?’ He looked at Deidre as if expecting an answer, but she was already paying attention to Erasmus.
‘Did you like your bed, kept the wood real smooth, shouldn’t think there’ll be any splinters; what with the new mattress, I should think it’s better than before for sleeping.’
If anything could have been inferred by her comment then it was lost on Erasmus who was wondering just how much food was on his trencher and hadn’t been paying attention to either of them, not that it was possible to hear much above the noise He cut a slice from the beef and with some colcannon started to make some headway on his trencher. Without thinking, and not having paid attention to Paddy, he took a large quaff from his mug which was substituting for a wassail cup. The liquid hit the back of his throat making him almost spit it out, recovering in time he swallowed in one gulp only to bring water to his eyes. ‘What was that,’ he spluttered looking at his companions.
‘Ah to be sure you like to drink heartily, we’ll be carrying you to your bed tonight if you’re to be drinking like that.’ Paddy was now laughing out aloud.
Erasmus on the other hand was resolving to pay more attention to what was being put in front of him. He had come to the conclusion that though festivities could be enjoyable, the after effects could be less so.
‘Here have this, maybe it’s not so spicy,’ Deidre handed him a smaller mug.
Now being more careful he took a sip, but he had already smelt the sweet smell of mead, and knowing its effect despite its mild nature, he placed it to one side. Then in order to avoid too much liquid he ate slowly from the trencher. A trickle of unidentified liquid trickled over the table and over the edge. Before it could reach his léine Erasmus moved his legs to one side, and then taking hold of a clothe wiped the table surface.
Deidre misunderstanding the movement was only conscious of his legs pressing against hers and respond by leaning onto him. ‘This is more like it, nothing like Christmas to get close.’
Maybe it was the wassail, or the ale, or the mead, but Erasmus was beginning to like the pressure of her body against his and on this occasion was not inclined to move away. ‘Do you like having your hair down, I mean it looks nice, and I was wondering …’ Small talk was not one of Erasmus’s attributes and he was fumbling for some thing to say. ‘It’s very long, I mean when you’re working you have it all coiled up under your coif, but it’s a fine length.’ As he spoke he trailed his fingers through her hair.
This time it was Paddy’s time to choke on his mug of wassail. Watching from the corner of his eye, he had sensed the growing awareness in Erasmus, that there was more to be enjoyed than merriment on these occasions, affection he hadn’t seen up till now. Though he told himself it was none of his business, he resolved to keep an eye on the relationship. It was in his interest to ensure that the patronage given to Erasmus was not sullied.
Enjoying the attention being given, Deidre started to cut from the ham to place some on Erasmus’s trencher. Then remembering a forgotten intention, she slipped from the stool and went off to the pantry only to return moments later to surreptitiously place some large prawns by the side of Paddy’s and Erasmus’s trenchers. ‘Special they be, extra large, some say from Dublin, but I’d not be knowing these things.’
Then the kitchen maids made to the hearth, and taking the platters placed mincemeat pies still hot on them, large oblong shaped pies filled with mincemeat heavy with fruit, spices and meats. The cook had been helping herself to some Spanish brandy that had found its way into the buttery and now the mince pies. Sugar had given the fermentation of the mincemeat added sweetness. Butter had been liberally used in making the pastry and this oozed from the surface of the lidded top. Soon a large portion found its way onto each of the trenchers in front of them, and Paddy’s face was again wreathed in smiles. ‘To be sure this is the way to eat, and will we be having plum pudding to follow?’
‘I hope not,’ said Erasmus, ‘I shall never eat this, well not all of it.’ Then removing the belt from his waist he laid it around his shoulders.
Almost unnoticed Deidre was stroking his thigh. This she decided was going to be a Christmas to remember and she was savouring every moment.
Claire came around the table. ‘You’ll not be forgetting the plum puddings, Aingeal said to tell you to fetch the thick cream and the butter from the pantry. You do that, and Niamh will help me put the puddings on the table.’ That said, she motioned to Niamh who had been watching them talking. Quickly they put the puddings on their platters along the centre of the table while Deidre carried bowls heaped with thick cream, and some with butter. The appearance for Paddy was as if they had come from heaven itself, and he was reaching for a helping of the delicious luscious fruit and suet laden puddings as they filled the air with a fragrance of spices and fumes, fumes from were they had been drenched in spirit. Before they were barely on the table his trencher would seem to be filled. The plum pudding was followed by enormous ladles of cream, topped with a dollop of butter. And then as if to make sure he would be ill later he poured honey over the top watching it spill over the edges. ‘Now that’s a pudding,’ he said to his companions quaffing at the mead he had resorted to as the wassail bowl was now empty.
Erasmus did not wish to offend Aingeal, who he remembered some weeks ago spent hours with the kitchen maids stoning the plums, and cleaning the suet. Aingeal had then kept awake half the night, taking it in turns with Claire topping up the water while the puddings were boiling. So he placed some on his trencher, intending to stop at that. Deidre thinking he was not aware of the cream took a ladle and covered his plum pudding.
‘Err, no butter, I think I have enough.’ He looked around for something to drink whilst eating, then realising that there was only ale, or mead, he settled for the former rather than becoming involved in drinking mead.
It was some time later when sitting near the doorway with Deidre that he noticed Paddy had, by his absence, already gone to his quarters. The kitchen was now clearing and the scullions were wearily clearing up some of the mess. ‘Seems that that’s the end of Christmas,’ he said almost sorrowfully. ‘Time to gather our strength for the morrow.’
‘Mmmm …, that’s a good idea, I have to be up early getting this lot straightened out,’ but she still kept her arm close around his waist.
‘Come on let’s be having you it’s nearly daybreak,’ Paddy gave Erasmus a shake to awaken him.
‘What’s the haste, we’ve not to be anywhere in particular today.’ Erasmus stirred lazily slowly coming out of a lethargic stupor.
‘Ay, maybe you haven’t but this one has,’ and lifting the covers high he playfully slapped Deidre’s naked bottom, ‘come on my girl, if they catch you here, they’ll be sending you both out the door.’ Seeing her confusion he continued, ‘It will be no good saying you were just keeping him warm. And for you to be saying you were just showing her the bed, which I’ve no doubt you were, and she was showing you a thing or two I be bound. In that I’ll not be wrong in thinking others would agree.’
Deidre was quick to see the situation and was dressed and out to the kitchen in literally seconds.
‘I don’t know how that happened, we were just talking about why a strung bed is not used by everybody, and then we ended up here.’ Erasmus sought to explain, but could see that it was wasted on Paddy.
‘And you need to tell me what it was about, don’t be bothering. Just make sure you don’t do anything foolish, you have a good life here in front of you, be a shame to spoil it.’ For me as well thought Paddy, for I’m sure to get the blame.
Christmas day became Epiphany, and the gorging continued, spiced beef, legs of pork, sausages. A regular supply of different pastries, finally on twelfth night the iced cake, and Epiphany was behind them. Paddy kept an eye on his friends, and made sure when they were keeping warm that they were up before the others. Christmas for 1629 was soon over.
